Jordain Carney

Congressional Democratic leadership wants to boost the FBI's budget in March's government funding bill to help fight Russian interference in the 2018 midterm elections. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), as well as top Democrats on the House and Senate Appropriations committees, sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) urging them to support the increase. They are asking for a $300 million increase in the FBI's budget to help target and counteract the influence of Russian and o

The Senate passed an extension of a government surveillance program, sending the bill to President Donald Trump's desk, where he is expected to sign it into law. Senators voted 65-34 on the bill, which includes a six-year extension with minimal changes to the National Security Agency (NSA) program.

Democratic Sens are pushing President Donald Trump to reject legislation that would repeal the Obama-era Federal Communications Commission's broadband privacy rules. Forty-six Democrats sent a letter to President Trump on March 30 to veto the bill, which passed Congress along a pair of party-line votes. The White House said that the president would sign the bill, but Democrats warn that getting rid of the Obama-era rules would negatively impact privacy.

"This legislation will seriously undermine the privacy protections of the overwhelming majority of Americans who believe that their private information should be just that — private — and not for sale without their knowledge," the senators wrote. The letter was signed by all Senate Democrats with the exception of Sens Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Mark Warner (D-VA).

Sen Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is demanding the Department of Justice block a deal for AT&T to purchase Time Warner, arguing acquisition would negatively affect Americans. The former Democratic presidential candidate sent a letter to Renata Hesse, the acting assistant attorney general of DOJ's antitrust division, warning that the proposed $85 billion sale of Time Warner to telecommunications behemoth AT&T would mean a "gross concentration of power."

“This merger represents a gross concentration of power that runs counter to the public good and should be blocked," Sen Sanders wrote. He said that he believes the sale, which must be approved by federal regulators, would lead to less diversity and news content, and could mean higher prices and fewer choices for consumers. "The media and telecommunications landscape is changing. It is important that public policy concerns guide these changes, so that we may preserve our democratic discourse and open competitive markets for speech and commerce,” Sen Sanders wrote. "That is the function of antitrust laws," he added. "I ask you to enforce them and block the merger."

A push by Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX) to block the Obama Administration from handing over management of the internet is not part of a short-term spending bill backed by Senate GOP leadership. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) filed the continuing resolution (CR) without Cruz's initiative, which had gotten fierce pushback from Democrats and the White House. Sen Cruz said that he was "profoundly disappointed" that the provision is being left out.

"This is one more example why the American people are so fed up with Washington, because they expect all of us — Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike — to protect free speech online," he said. Sen Cruz added that his House colleagues should "continue to stand united to ensure that the government funding bill prevents the Obama administration from permanently undermining free speech on the Internet."

Lawmakers have until Oct. 1 to try to block the change, but without the measure in the spending bill, their efforts are likely to fall short.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) blasted Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX) for trying to tie a fight over management of the Internet to a short-term government funding bill with an Oct 1 deadline. "It's not [time for] a big debate for talking about how we change the internet forever," the outgoing Senate Democratic leader said. "It's not a time to try to satisfy Cruz because he doesn't get along with the caucus and they're trying to shut him up."

Top Democratic lawmakers have signaled they don't want to include Sen Cruz's language, which would prevent the Administration from relinquishing the US's role in Internet oversight, in the short-term funding bill known as a continuing resolution (CR). Sen Dick Durbin (D-IL) said Democratic lawmakers have made a counteroffer to Republican lawmakers as part of the spending negotiations for a "clean" CR that wouldn't link the Internet fight to the bill. But top Republican lawmakers — who have argued that nothing about the deal is finalized until the entire agreement is done — said Sen Cruz's effort is still part of the talks. "I think it's going to have to get resolved one way or another before the end of [September], and this is the only vehicle out there," Sen John Thune (R-SD) said.

Nearly a dozen Senate Republicans are urging Democratic lawmakers to come to the negotiating table to prevent President Barack Obama from transferring management of the Internet to an international governing body before the Oct 1 deadline. Sens Ted Cruz (R-TX), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Richard Burr (R-NC), Ron Johnson (R-WI), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Roger Wicker (R-MI) released a joint statement arguing that lawmakers should be able to reach a deal. "Partisanship and political gamesmanship have no place when it comes to the Internet, basic principles of freedom, and the right of individuals in our great nation and across the globe to speak online free from censorship," the senators said. They added that it would be "irresponsible" to allow the transfer to occur, calling on Democrats to "work with us to ensure this transition does not occur on October 1."

The 11 GOP senators said it was "disappointing" that the Obama Administration was moving forward with the transition without congressional approval, adding that they had lingering questions about the change as it relates to national security, free speech and consumer protections. Sen Cruz and other Republicans believe the administration must obtain permission from Congress before going forward.

The Senate's top two Democrats are sending early warning signs that a push by Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX) to link a fight over control of the Internet to a short-term government funding bill is a non-starter. Asked if Democratic Sens are opposed to Sen Cruz's push to include a rider to block the Obama Administration from relinquishing the oversight role the United States has had over the Internet, Sen Dick Durbin (D-IL) said "of course." "If he's going to be allowed to dream up an issue and produce it and say we're going to stop the government, which he has quite a good reputation of doing... where in the heck are the Senate Republicans?" Sen Durbin added.

Sen Cruz's push comes as lawmakers are facing a looming Oct 1 deadline to get a deal on government funding to avoid a shutdown. Under Senate rules, any member of the chamber could force the Senate to go through lengthy procedural hurdles before it can take a final vote on a short-term spending bill. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) also pointed to Sen Cruz's Internet fight as one of myriad policy issues that still needs to be worked out as part of the spending discussions, arguing it's an "attempt to slow down the [continuing resolution]." "Unfortunately this is what we've come to expect from my friend, the junior senator from Texas. When the Senate has a deadline, he tries to obstruct government funding bills," he added. "So we have our work cut out for us." Sen Cruz is expected to hold a hearing Sept 14 about the transition. If Congress fails to act by the end of Sept, the transfer will take place, giving Sen Cruz leverage to get the issue included in the CR.